We here at Eco-Friendly are dedicated to making the best choices for the environment, and for workers that make the products we need. So when it comes to leather, there are many issues that need to be clarified. The first and most important thing to say is that from an ecological stand point all vegan leather is not necessarily better.
Even from an animal rights perspective vegan leather does not mean better, and I will explain why in a moment.
The point of our eco-friendly guides is not to stand on a platform and yell about social issues. It just so happens that many eco-friendly options end up being vegan by nature, which is why we want to be very clear and straight forward about vegan leather.
The Cons of Real Leather
- Raising animals (for whatever industrial purpose) means that forests are clear cut for pastures. This wipes out habitats, can make wildfires worse, fragments eco-systems, etc..
- Raising animals also means that more land is needed to grow their feed, which destroys more forests. More habitats. More wildfires. Less diversity.
- Raising animals also means pumping them full of antibiotics. These get into the food web, the ground water, the lakes, the streams, the ocean. Us, and all animals that walk, swim, crawl and fly are at risk.
- Animal skin must be treated with harsh chemicals. These chemicals (hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, chromium) are carcinogenic and also end up in ground water, soil, lakes, rivers, streams, oceans.
- Places where leather is processed are in the top ten most toxic places in the world. Especially in developing countries. This means we probably have a human rights issue on our hands for the workers involved.
The Cons of Vegan (Synthetic) Leather
- Petroleum-based, which means that their production contributes significantly to climate change. Petroleum increases carbon dioxide emissions & other greenhouse gases.
- Toxic chemicals also used for production. Again, ending up in soil, ground water, rivers, lakes, streams, oceans, us.
- Some synthetic leather is made with PVC, polyvinyl chloride. PVC contains pthalates (additive to make plastic softer & more pliable). These disrupt your hormones and have been linked to other health issues like damaging the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system. They also leak into the environment.
Okay, Negative Nancy. Now that I am confused and depressed what are some good eco-friendly synthetic leather alternatives?
- Cork based
- Kelp based
- Organic Cotton based
- Cotton & Polyurethane….BUT
- Cotton = production uses A LOT of water, pesticides and fertilizers. Not so eco-friendly, but perhaps more eco-friendly than pumping so many other toxins into the environment? We don’t know, this is for you to decide how you weigh these issues.
- Polyurethane = is based on the production of oil. Contributing to climate change. But not as much as raising animals. But again, these are hard things to compare and contrast.
- “Closed Loop” companies that take your used shoes to make new shoes
- Shoes made from recycled materials
Bleck, you talk too much. Sum it up for us.
- Don’t get real leather. There are better options.
- Find companies that are based in the U.S or Europe. The labor laws are more transparent, and chances are working conditions are not treacherous for employees.
- Organic cotton is good.
- Kelp/Cork based is good.
- Recycled material is good.
- Suede is also leather.
Recommended Companies
- Corkor
- Cork Street
- Ahimsa (but their leather is still polyurethane, so try to shop their cotton alternatives!)
- Veerah – They use recycled material, source sustainably, give back to communities, and are very transparent!
- Will’s Vegan Store – They use plant based material, and provide a lot of information on their site about working conditions and materials used.
- Matt & Nat – They do use some PU, but they also use a lot of recycled nylon, cork and rubber so it is a better option!
- BBoheme – This company also uses some PU, but mixes it with plant based and recycled materials as well.
Okay, you can shop eco-friendly leather now!
Top picks:
Bags
Shoes
Belts
Wallets
Coming Soon
Look out for companies who invented eco-friendly leather out of pineapples like Pinatex, or other interesting plant based and eco-friendly leather inventions! And if you need more advice on eco-friendly living, check out our guide to eco-friendly travel!